


Family Affairs

by lea_hazel



Category: The Royal Trap
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Family Secrets, Multi, Polyamory, Royalty, Secret Relationship, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-04-28 14:55:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5094890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/lea_hazel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Madeleine and Cassidy attempt to repair family relationships by visiting Duchess Sophia and her infant daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was not Nazagi's idea, and he was not pleased with it at all. At first. It took Madeleine four conversations over the course of a week to convince him of the trip's necessity, the last one rising to tones that could very well be called an argument. She was not accustomed to arguing with the Prince, or to the idea of him arguing with anyone at all. On the subject of his intended wife, however, he could be quite unreasonable.

Primarily, his argument seemed to suggest that he considered the trip to be a false move, betraying weakness. She counter-argued that resolving relations with the Duke and Duchess could only strengthen their position, especially now that Princess Cassidy was able to go out and about, and be seen by her subjects. The exposure, she insisted, would endear the Princess to her people, and that in itself was motive enough for the trip, even if placating the Duchess were not a necessity.

Cassidy's argument, of course, was quite different in nature. "But she's family!" she said, and shook her head emphatically. "No, I can't believe that my own kin could wish me harm. I  _won't_ believe it."

Madeleine bit down on the urge to bring up the incident of being kidnapped by her royal brother. Prince Callum, after all, had proved to have the best of intentions in the end.

"If you will not be suspicious of family," said Nazagi, assuming his most implacable expression, "I am obliged to be cautious on your behalf. It is too dangerous."

"The benefits outweigh the risks," said Madeleine, her arms crossed, head high. She could be just as stubborn as him, and this was simply too important to relent.

"Even if my cousin does wish me harm," said the Princess, clearly prepared to change her tack to keep up with the shifting argument, "and I'm  _ _not__  saying I believe she will, or would. But even if she did, it would not improve my safety if she knew I suspected her, surely."

A hint of indecision passed over Nazagi's face, there and gone in an instant.

"This is true," said Madeleine, seizing onto the Princess's intentions. "As far as anyone outside the royal family is concerned, the Marianite threat ended when Sophia forfeited her place in the succession by marrying the Duke. For the Princess to demonstrate a personal interest in her cousin and baby niece would be seen as natural, far more so than any evidence of lingering suspicion and ill-intent."

"And--" Cassidy started to say, but hesitated. She shifted in her seat, straightening and giving her head a small, unconscious toss before proceeding. "And little Rielle is still heir presumptive."

Nazagi started to object but the Princess raised her hand to indicate she was not finished.

Madeleine couldn't help but smile a little at this distinctly royal gesture.

"As much as we place our hope on our future children," she said, "and I hope for them as much as anyone, the fact remains that we cannot be certain of anything. As my enlightened mother's history well shows."

The Prince nodded shortly.

"If we wish to inspire security in the succession, we must be seen to accept Rielle's position, and Sophia's by extension," said Cassidy, and paused for breath. "Until such a time as we have a little heiress of our own."

"It is still a risky proposition," said Nazagi.

Cassidy nodded. "I know."

"We agreed," said Madeleine, seeing fit to intervene one last time, "that the matter of children must wait. It is riskier, now, given the history in question and the events of the past year, to take the Princess out of the public eye for such a long time as would be required, for the birth of a child."  _ _Who may be a boy__ , she thought to herself, but didn't add.

"My people need to get to know me," Princess Cassidy pronounced, with all the gravitas and authority of a royal proclamation, to an audience of two.

"And I think I can keep my Princess safe, even away from the palace," said Madeleine in a softer tone. "With a detachment of hand-picked palace guards, of course."

Nazagi drummed his fingers against the smooth marble tabletop. "Your points are clear," he said at last. "I will discuss this further with the Wisdom and the King."

Cassidy smiled brightly, secure in her victory. "Of course you will, my dear husband-to-be."

Madeleine kept her own sense of accomplishment more subtle, though certainly not enough to escape the notice of the one in question.

He put his hand on her shoulder as her passed by on his way to the door. "Don't start packing your things just yet."

 


	2. Chapter 2

Cousin Sophia proved most welcoming.

It was a boon, perhaps, that her husband was absent. King Pharamond had insisted on keeping him at the royal palace to "discuss the affairs of the kingdom" with him. If it was meant as a signal that he was still under heavy scrutiny, which Madeleine was almost certain was true, it was not a very subtle one. Even Cassidy could not fail to crinkle her nose at the suggestion, and the Duke himself surely saw straight through it.

Madeleine had suggested that it was a gesture of trust for the Duke to stay behind, when he knew the Princess and her retinue were preparing to visit his wife and infant child... If he was the least bit apprehensive about the Princess's intentions towards little Rielle, he certainly gave no outward sign. Of course, the Duke's guards had proven surprisingly loyal and effective. Much more so than some of the palace guards.

There was a threat concealed somewhere in the tangled spider's web that bound the Wisdom and the Grandessa, but the more Madeleine got to knew Sophia, the less she was convinced of her complicity. It was still possible that Duke Pherod was involved without his wife's knowledge, but for all her sweet disposition, Duchess Sophia was far cleverer than her reputation would suggest. A trait which seemed to run strong in the royal family of Gwellinor. Her husband would not easily succeed in hiding his involvement from her.

And so Madeleine was inclined to trust the Duchess, at least provisionally, and at least for the time being. She had welcomed the royal retinue warmly, descending from her confinement to personally greet her cousin. Since then she had shown nothing but familial affection, as well as an understandable curiosity about the Princess, whom she hardly knew.

Cassidy was equally curious in return. It transpired that Sophia's name was never mentioned by the royal family except in conjunction with the Grandessa Marie, and the Princess had formed the impression that the Duchess acted as an extension of her exalted mother's intentions. No doubt this impression was deliberate. There was bad blood between Wise Paloma and her younger sister, and years of justified suspicion and hostility. The Duchess and her family had been inevitably caught in the crossfire.

"Maddie," said Cassidy with a small frown. "Don't disappear on me. You're deep in thought again. Won't you put away your letters and come play with the baby?"

The Princess was sitting on her floor with her silken skirts pooled around her, cradling baby Rielle, who was reaching up, trying to grab at Cassidy's hair and giggling. Cassidy tickled her chin and laughed back at her when Rielle dissolved into another bout of giggles.

Madeleine was sure she'd never seen the Princess this happy and careless before.

She looked up, and saw the Sophia was watching the same scene. She scanned her expression and pose, but found no hint of anything than the obvious delight she displayed outwardly. As far as anyone could tell, the Duchess was just as thrilled with her cousin's visit as Cassidy herself was. Nothing about the scene before her eyes spoke of battles of inheritance, conspiracies or any of the rest of it. Just a pleasant domestic scene with two women and a baby, a baby who did not yet know that she was heiress presumptive, or what that meant.

But the Duchess was no fool, and she had felt Madeleine's eyes on her. She looked up, caught her eye and smiled disarmingly. "I'm so glad," she said, "that Rielle will be able to grow up in the bosom of her family."

Cassidy looked up, eyes shining. "I feel the same," she said, and added softly, "I wouldn't wish on her to live as I have done, isolated even from her own kin."

Sophia tilted her head thoughtfully. "Yes," she said. "I had heard that you were kept under-- under great care. Did you truly not know your brothers at all?"

Cassidy's smile faltered. "I've come to know my brother Callum since I've come out of seclusion."

"I suppose the older boys..." said Sophia thoughtfully, and didn't finish.

"Yes, my mother's other sons are a great deal older than the two of us," said the Princess. "Callum didn't know them well, either."

The Duchess smiled something like a nostalgic smile. "I still think of them as boys, you know," she said. "Although they're all men, grown and married, for years now. There was a time when we were permitted to play together, but I hadn't seen nor heard from them in... years."

Cassidy nodded and smiled sadly.

"But other than your family," said the Duchess, "had you no other close companions growing up?"

"My parents," said the Princess simply. "Even now I hardly know any of the other nobles my age, nor even the palace staff. I know my maids and I'm acquainted with some of the palace guards." She smiled again. "Maddie is my only true friend."

Madeleine couldn't help but smile at that.

She also couldn't help but notice the quick, darting glance that Duchess Sophia had sent her way.


	3. Chapter 3

By Madeleine's reckoning, the visit went very well. She had ample opportunity to form an independent impression of not only Duchess Sophia, but her advisers, her staff, and even the common people under her rule. Most of whom were prosperous and content, it seemed. She spent much of their return journey mentally contrasting her personal impressions with the cautions and admonishments that the royal couple had pressed upon her before their journey.

Once they were safely ensconced in the royal carriage and well on their way back to the capital, Cassidy turned to her and asked, "What do you think?"

"About Duchess Sophia?" asked Madeleine.

Cassidy nodded.

"My impressions were positive," she said.

The Princess let out an audible sigh of relief. "Mine, too. I'm so glad you agree," she said, and squeezed her hand.

"Whatever the Grandessa might have done in the past," said Madeleine, "I believe Sophia is her own woman, now. She keeps counsel with only a few, but that is only cautious. And she values her husband's perspective above those of others."

Princess Cassidy nodded. "That's what I thought," she said, "but then, I never had as poor an opinion of Duke Pherod as my parents seem to."

"I imagine our absence has allowed the Prince plenty of time to assess the Duke, as well," said Madeleine.

"We can hear his thoughts on the matter when we get home," said Cassidy. "Just in time to sink into another round of wedding preparations."

Madeleine smiled. "At least now you know that your cousin will be attending in good cheer," she said.

"That's all I really wanted," said Cassidy.

They arrived at the royal palace in good time, but not early enough to greet the Duke before he returned to his own lands. But then, could he be blamed for being in a rush to return to his family, after such a long separation? As with most of his actions, the innocent motive seemed just as plausible as a more subtle one. She'd been trained to observe and she would remain vigilant, but Madeleine saw no reason to remain suspicious of the Duchess and her family. If ever there was a time when they had aspirations to the throne, Sophia's aupicious meeting with Cassidy had banished the last of them.

She said as much to Nazagi when they were in private.

"As long as I know that you'll keep your eyes and ears open," said the Prince, "I trust your judgment."

"You know I always do," she replied. "The Duchess was very forthcoming and seemed eager to offer the Princess whatever aid she could lend."

"You think her offer is sincere?" he asked.

Madeleine shrugged. "An early wedding present is hardly an assurance against ill-intent," she said, "but the Duchess seemed equally inclined to advise her on other matters. She suggested, for example, that the Princess should get to know her personal guard better."

"And was quite dismayed to learn that the Princess has no personal bodyguards other than the palace guard, I assume," said Nazagi.

"I suggested to Cassidy that it would be wise to recruit from among the palace guard, if only by arranging for those who have proven themselves to be reassigned to her personal detail," said Madeleine. "Late on, we'll be able to turn them into a more formal outfit. I have a captain in mind for them, as well."

"I'm sure you do," said Nazagi, his lip twitching almost imperceptibly.

"I think Cassidy will feel much safer once she's gotten to know the men guarding her," she said.

"I think the Princess feels safer," he replied, "since you've taken up residence in her quarters."

"It is only proper for a lady companion to sleep in close quarters to her liege," said Madeleine. "We're quite within the bounds of propriety, I assure you."

"Close quarters doesn't mean the same quarters, dear," he said.

"Until the new royal apartments are appointed, it does," said Madeleine. "Are you concerned? She's been isolated for so long, and I fear it hasn't contributed to her reputation. No one likes an asocial princess."

"Or prince," said Nazagi.

"I didn't say that," she said.

"I could hear you thinking it, though."

Madeleine shook her head. "I'd better get back to helping with the wedding preparations," she said. "Given that the intended groom is too intellectually exalted to be of any use with them, and the Princess will certainly need all the help she can get."

"I'm certain she could hope for no better wedding planner," said Nazagi. "Ever prepared in case the flower arrangements lunge at her with a hidden blade."


	4. Chapter 4

She had said it made her feel safer. It was a thin excuse. While the events surrounding her _anniversaire_ were undoubtedly traumatic for Princess Cassidy, and the danger to her life had been very real, her personal chambers had never been at risk of being breached. And if she were to be attacked in her sleep, there was a limit to what Madeleine could do to protect her, especially since such an event could only occur with the cooperation of her guards.

But it gave the Princess some comfort, and Maddie couldn't find it in her heart to refuse. It was true, also, that Cassidy slept much better when she wasn't alone, although that would certainly no longer be a problem after her wedding to Nazagi. Until then, and so long as it made her happy, she would continue to share the Princess's bed. She told herself that it was concern for Cassidy's wellbeing that motivated her. Weeks to months, she had gotten used to spending almost every waking moment with her, until even she couldn't pretend she wouldn't miss it, when the time came for them to separate.

Cassidy seemed intent to ignore this, and in fact made every effort to avoid the subject whenever her impending marriage was brought up. Madeleine supposed that she might intend to keep separate apartments. Certainly there were many among the nobility who slept separately from their spouses, although when it came to the heir apparent it was sure to set wicked tongues to wagging. Especially given Cassidy's youth and her sheltered upbringing. It would simply be up to Madeleine to force the issue, no matter how little Cassidy wished to discuss it, and it must be done well in advance of the wedding itself.

Before she spoke to Cassidy about it, though, she would have to bring the subject up with Nazagi. She wasn't certain which conversation would be more difficult. Each of them, in their own way, had a terrible stubborn streak muddled with a little bit of pride. Or rather more than a little, in Nazagi's case. Madeleine considered that invoking the Princess's emotional state wasn't likely to convince him of anything at all, and if he spoke to her without guidance he might inadvertently make things worse.

But in the end, it was up to her to get to the bottom of the matter. She wondered, sometimes, whether that was part of the reason he'd asked her to stay. If that was the case, she wasn't certain that her experience with Oscar left her particularly well-equipped to mediate between a married royal couple.

At least they could crown their visit with the Duchess a success. Cassidy got to spend some time outside of the royal palace, the Duchess got to meet her cousin, the people got to see their Princess safe and whole and in the flesh, and Duke Pherod had ample opportunity to satisfy himself that the new Prince was not a threat to his family. Immediately upon their return, Cassidy had struck up an enthusiastic correspondence with "cousin Sophia", even successfully extracting a promise to visit the palace with baby Rielle. Though she wouldn't commit to attending the wedding with her child still so young, the Duchess did send a pre-wedding gift by courier.

"Look!" said Cassidy, tipping the open box in her hands for Maddie to see.

The box contained a pair of ornately carved ivory combs, stark white against the red silk lining. Madeleine took one out, delicately pinched between thumb and forefinger. The thing was so fine and so finely carved that she was almost afraid to touch it. She was just about to suggest that the Duchess may be pleased if Cassidy wore them for her wedding portrait, while Cassidy fussed with her hair in front of the vanity mirror. She watched her for a few moments, as she tried to find an arrangement that pleased her.

"Don't you want to try it with both of them?" asked Maddie, handing her the second comb.

Cassidy exhaled with a frustrated puff and let her hair fall back down to her shoulders. "What? Oh, no. I think it looks much better with just one. Don't you?"

Maddie agreed with her distractedly. She thought back to their visit with Sophia and all the attention she payed to Cassidy, rather like a favorite aunt or a doting older sister. She had lent her books and introduced her to her personal dressmaker, and sent her home with all the gifts and trinkets she could fit into her new traveling trunk. She took them both to market under guard, where the merchants competed between them to show her their finest wares, and encouraged her to buy the pretty embroidered handkerchiefs on a whim. Right before they left, Sophia gifted to Cassidy something from her personal jewelry box.

A pair of silk handkerchiefs, two strings of rose-colored pearls, and now a set of two ivory combs. Madeleine combed back over all her conversations with the Duchess, trying to confirm her sudden hunch. Suddenly she was certain she must to speak with Nazagi before she brought the matter up with the Princess, and the sooner the better. Immediately, she decided, as she made her excuses to the Princess and retreated, leaving the ivory comb on the vanity, next to its pair. 


End file.
